Melissa Smith speaks on behalf of the Friends of the Wisconsin Wolf during a wolf hunt protest outside the Capitol in Madison, Wis. on Tuesday, October 15, 2013. Wisconsin's second organized wolf hunt is underway. / AP Photo/The Capital Times, Michelle Stocker

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MADISON — Wisconsin's second organized wolf hunt is underway.

The season opened Tuesday morning. The Department of Natural Resources has set a 251-wolf kill limit across six zones.

The hunt is scheduled to end Feb. 28 or whenever the kill limit is reached. According to the DNR's website, no one had reported taking a wolf as of late morning.

The wolf hunt has been one of the most contentious outdoor issues Wisconsin has grappled with in years. Supporters say the hunt is a way to manage wolves that are ravaging farmers' livestock. Animal welfare advocates counter the state's wolf population is too fragile to support a hunt.

The group Friends of the Wisconsin Wolf held protests in Superior and Madison Tuesday.